Farewell to my motherland

2. I wouldn’t be blogging while still technically on vacation except my husband made us show up 3 hours early to the airport and, frankly, we’ve run out of things to talk about.

So… It was fantastic! And while I did miss Kendall a wee bit, I never once felt guilty for leaving him. Perhaps it’s because I knew he wouldn’t have enjoyed the trip anyway.

One of the best parts of the trip was listening to and learning from some of the guys behind the scenes of the wineries. A guy at the Kendall Jackson tasting counter was telling us all about how he retired from big IT and moved to Sonoma with his wife after his kids left for college. They live in a small house not far from the coast, where they pick up fresh crab on the weekends.

We stood there, listening to his story, envious and plotting our retirement plans to do the same thing, remarking that we could never afford the same lifestyle with kids. “You have a kid? How old?” he asked.

Upon learning that we have a two year old son, his eyes lit up. “These are your magic years,” he said. “And here we thought retirement to Sonoma would be pretty magical,” I replied. “No, this has nothing on those magical years you spend building your family, the time with your young children. Enjoy it.” And we stood there quietly for a moment. It was sort of a Freaky Friday vibe where I think we each thought briefly what it would be like to be on the other side of the counter, living each other’s life.

Now I’m headed home, leaving behind this motherland I never knew I was separated from. I guess we have lots of “magic” to live through before ever being properly reunited. And by magic I mean diapers and potty training, tantrums and timeouts, play dates and first dates, teenage angst and fights for freedom.

I suppose one day I’ll look back on these years and think of them as magical just like I might think of child birth as beautiful and amazing. I’ll forget all the bodily fluids and screaming.

20 thoughts on “Farewell to my motherland”

Sounds like you had a lot of fun. I’m jealous – but my MIL just asked if she could keep the kids while HH and I go to BlogHer. I haven’t decided yet whether I can stand to be away from them for 5 days, but I’m seriously considering it. We need a vacation together – badly!

ohh, that sounds absolutely wonderful! Hubby and I havent’ vacayed together in ages and ages. This summer we’re going to CO sans the 3 kiddies and we’re like kids ourselves in the planning of it! And it is hard to look at these days we are in as the magic days, isn’t it? Although I do already look back on the birth as magic . . . but I’m sick that way 🙂

That picture makes me homesick. My dad’s family is from the wine country, and I remember taking week-long solo trips to my grandma’s as a kid. It’s beautiful land with great people. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

I can’t even tell you how insanely jealous of you I am. I *wish* we knew people already living there so we could mooch off their hospitality. Seriously, the people were SO friendly. And I’m from Texas, I know friendly strangers 🙂

OMG JILL!!!!
That picture makes me want to rip off my socks and shoes and squash some grapes!!! Not kidding!! Yeah, These are the “majical” years! Spoken so greatly from a MAN! Who doesn’t deal with the tantrums and diapers and sickness and every other damn thing 24/7/365! It’s very magical! whimsical! Am I leavinging anything out? Oh yeah, the fact that -I- need a vacation!!!!!!!!! Ha! That will never happen. So glad you enjoyed yourself, now, put the bag down and get back to real life…hah hah hah!

I know what you mean about being separated from the motherland that you knew nothing about… hubby and I both feel that way about Greece. It was one of out stops on our honeymoon almost 2 years ago and we are both DYING to go back. But now we have a 15 month old and one on the way, so we know that there will be alot of time and growing before that happens.

I gotta call BS on the whole “magical” thing. Parents of older kids are ALWAYS saying how the time flies and how wonderful it was and yada yada yada. They are just forgetting the day in, day out, drudge work, the monotony, the manual labor of it all. It’s so easy to forget all of that stuff years later.

Sure, there are magical moments and sometimes even a whole magical afternoon. But those super wonderful times – like going to the zoo – are always ended with the crying and screaming when it’s time to go home. They just forget that part. That no matter how much you do, it can all be undone in one second.

Anyway, enough with my diatribe. I’m so happy you got your much-deserved vacation! I’ve been thinking about you since my husband just left today for a biz trip.

LOL. Yeah, just like the people who told me how “special” and “bonding” those first few weeks of life are. Bull Shit. But I can see how it’s easy to trick yourself into that when you look back on it all. Your mind has selective memory so that this species survives, I’m convinced. Good luck with the solo-parenting while your H is gone!